


Three Miles South of the Border

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Pre-White House (West Wing)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-20
Updated: 2005-03-20
Packaged: 2019-05-30 09:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15093731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: On the way to South Carolina, Sam gets a crazy idea. Meanwhile, CJ gets a bit carried away.





	Three Miles South of the Border

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Three Miles South of the Border**

**by: Kansas J. Miller**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Danny  
**Category(s):** Pre-WH  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Summary:** On the way to South Carolina, Sam gets a crazy idea. Meanwhile, CJ gets a bit carried away.  
**Author's Note:** If you've ever been to South of the Border, you'll probably appreciate this story. If not, you'll be humored by the description. Enjoy! 

~*~  
  
        "CJ!" Sam Seaborn excitedly poked CJ Cregg's shoulder, hoping to rouse her quickly. "Wake up, CJ!"  
  
        The poking jarred CJ awake, and opening her eyes slowly, the first thing she realized was the soreness in her neck. Dozing against the window with only her sweater from yesterday as a pillow had *not* been wise. "Sam?" Her voice was hoarse with sleep as she rolled out the kink in her neck. "Where are we?"  
  
        "Like, fifteen minutes away from the South Carolina state line. We're getting really close to South of the Border! I wanted to make sure you got up in time. We have to convince the Governor to make a stop!"  
  
        CJ blinked a few times and cleared her throat. "What the hell time is it?"  
  
        Sam was ridiculously energized as he gestured out the window. "Six- thirty or so. It's a beautiful day! And there's no better place to enjoy it than at South of the Border."  
  
        CJ yawned, eyeing Sam skeptically. "That's just a tourist trap, isn't it?"  
  
        Sam grinned at CJ, standing up in the aisle. He put both hands over his head, emulating a hat. "Land marked by a two-hundred foot tall tower capped with a Sombrero. Not to mention a ninety-seven foot Mexican named Pedro, the official South of the Border Mascot."  
  
        CJ was coming awake. She glanced down the length of the bus; nearly everyone was still asleep. Looking back to Sam, she raised an eyebrow. "And you've seen this yourself?"  
  
        Sam clapped his hands together as an animated look fell over his face. "I couldn't sleep after we stopped working, so I got on the Internet. Saw pictures. I'm telling you we've gotta stop, CJ!"  
  
        "Can't we just look out the side of the bus? It's not like you'd miss a two-hundred-foot high sombrero," CJ pointed out.  
  
        Sam's face fell in disappointment. "What kinda attitude is that? This is our one shot! We're ahead of schedule, so there's time - we'll turn it into a press event!"  
  
        CJ stared at Sam's boyish, keyed-up expression before breaking out into giggles. Shrugging her shoulders, she shook her head and grinned. "Only in this campaign would South of the Border be a thing."  
  
        Sam enthusiastically tapped CJ's shoulder as he darted past her. "I'm gonna run it by Leo!"  
  
        "Knock yourself out," CJ snorted, chuckling as she flopped back against the bus seat. They'd been driving since leaving New Hampshire the night before. CJ was exhausted; she and Sam had worked on a press strategy until nearly 3 in the morning. Sleep was a rare commodity on this campaign, CJ was starting to find, and as she looked out the window, she knew she wouldn't be getting much in the next seven days. With Iowa and New Hampshire behind them, the campaign was being kicked into high gear - they had primaries to win.  
  
~*~  
  
        The Governor looked intrigued as he tapped his chin thoughtfully and studied Sam. "Fourteen gift shops, three restaurants and a Sombrero tower? A campsite and a wedding chapel? 300 hotel rooms?" Jed Bartlet looked amusedly at his far less humored general chairman. "Leo! We should have set up our headquarters there!"  
  
        Leo rolled his eyes and looked sternly at Sam. "We don't have time in the schedule to stop at the border thing, okay?"  
  
        Josh rubbed his eyes as he gulped coffee. "I don't know, Leo, it's quaint. It might play well in photos."  
  
        "With Pedro?" CJ asked skeptically, glancing between Josh and the Governor. "I don't know. We want to be taken seriously in South Carolina, don't we?"  
  
        Toby glanced at CJ. "Well, then the sombrero should definitely take care of that."  
  
        Sam frowned. "Forget the media! I'm just saying, we have to stop driving sometime. CJ can brief the press on the day's schedule. And while we're there, we'll just take a quick look around."  
  
        Governor Bartlet grinned. "Then it's settled! How far away is this place, Sam?"  
  
        CJ looked out the window as she heard the Governor's question. Gasping, she gestured for the others to look, too. "Oh no! That sign right there says 'you are three miles South of the Border: stop, go back! You've missed us!'"  
  
        Toby rolled his eyes and shook his head, walking towards the front of the bus, his coffee in tow. Leo followed, not in the mood for nonsense as Josh sat back in his seat and smirked. The Governor was perturbed as he got out of his seat to catch sight of the many 'South of the Border' signs peppering the roadside.  
  
        "How do you miss a two-hundred foot Sombrero tower?" Bartlet wondered aloud.  
  
        CJ turned her head sharply. "That was my thing exactly."  
  
        Sam harrumphed and rushed up the aisle of the bus. "We're not done with this!"  
  
~*~  
  
        CJ stepped off the glass elevator and took it all in, stunned in a sick sort of way that so much *stuff* could be plopped down in literally the middle of nowhere. The early morning sun was not yet fully bright, and she did not have to shield her eyes as she took it all in.  
  
        "I told you this would be worth it," Sam grinned happily, leaning over the railing that was keeping the Bartlet for America senior staffers from plunging two-hundred feet down.  
  
        Josh put his hands on his hips and whistled as he looked out over the terrain. The two-way highway went on forever, but other than the South of the Border establishments, there was nothing as far as the eye could see. He glanced at his old friend with a blank expression. "Oh, yeah, Sam, standing in the brim of a huge sombrero was definitely worth having our campaign bus cut suddenly across the grass median on I-95."  
  
        The elevator dinged at that moment, revealing Toby, Leo, and Governor Bartlet.  
  
        "Sam, I'm just gonna, you know, kill you," Leo muttered, glancing at his watch. "It is six minutes after seven. If we are not on the road again by seven-thirty, I swear to God..."  
  
        Sam spun around, both hands up in surrender. "Hey, I'm sorry about the quick turnaround. But you've gotta appreciate the view!"  
  
        Governor Bartlet looked out into the distance, a content expression on his face. "There is no view. And that, my friends, is the beauty of this whole thing."  
  
        Toby sighed loudly. "Sam, if the press writes that the Bartlet for America campaign routinely breaks traffic laws, I'm gonna blame you."  
  
        CJ turned around and moved towards the elevator. "I'm going down to brief the press."  
  
        Josh, Toby, Sam, Leo, and the Governor began to walk around in the Sombrero, discovering that the view was the same on all sides. When the elevator chimed open, a group of reporters filed off, just as amused by this campaign pit-stop as everyone else.  
  
        CJ was about to step onto the elevator when Danny Concannon appeared before her. "Hey," he grinned. "You tired of the view?"  
  
        She pressed her lips together and avoided his strong eyes. Their kiss a week ago had left CJ reeling, and in New Hampshire the night before, another spark had passed between them. Feeling shy, CJ stepped into the elevator. Now, at the sight of him here, she felt her stomach flipping. "Yeah, time to get back to work."  
  
        Danny pressed the down button, and gave CJ a smile. "I'll ride down with you, then."  
  
        "And miss the chance to stand in the two-hundred foot sombrero tower?" CJ crossed her arms over her chest, smiling down at the ground. She hated how this reporter - this reporter! - could make her feel like a nervous high school kid again.  
  
        "We can't have it all," he chuckled, watching CJ, trying to gauge if she was in any way upset with him. Trying to talk to her last night as the buses were about to leave Manchester hadn't been his most brilliant idea, but he *had* managed to discover that she liked him, too. The glass elevator door slid shut and began to slowly move down the tower shaft. Danny glanced at CJ, their eyes connecting. "So, CJ-"  
  
        CJ turned sharply towards Danny, not stopping to think. In a heartbeat, she was across the elevator car, her hands sliding from his shoulders up to cup his face. With a sharp intake of breath, she pulled his mouth to hers, their tongues automatically thrusting against one another as Danny's hands fell to CJ's waist. Pulling her body flush with his, the kiss turned deep and hard, both of their heart rates soaring instantly.  
  
        Breaking apart with a gasp, CJ's hands quickly fell from Danny's face. "I-I-I don't know what the hell is wrong with me," she breathed, stepping tentatively backwards, self-consciously smoothing down her hair.  
  
        Danny grinned as the elevator slowly approached the ground. "I'm not complaining."  
  
        CJ squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassment flooding through her. "Oh, God, I can't believe I just did that."  
  
        They elevator opened with a chipper clang, revealing a waiting group of reporters who eagerly stepped in as CJ and Danny stepped out. Thinking quickly, Danny grabbed CJ's wrist before she could escape. Dragging her into one of the many gift shops that South of the Border offered, Danny led her to a quiet corner near a ridiculously-large barrel of shot glasses.  
  
        "CJ, look, I understand why it'd be a bad idea to get involved with-"  
  
        CJ's eyes widened. "A bad idea, Danny? Try again! If it ever got out that a campaign staffer - the official *spokesperson* for cryin' out loud! \- was having an affair with a member of the press corp? Forget about it! My career's over! Not to mention the reputation and the shaky-at-best support that this virtually unknown Governor is working his ass off for!"  
  
        Danny, still holding CJ's wrist, gave her a gentle squeeze. "Whoa, down girl! I was just trying to point out that we have this chemistry. I am not suggesting that you jeopardize this campaign or your own position."  
  
        CJ pulled her hand from Danny, knowing she couldn't give in to the warmth of his fingers. Tearing her eyes from his, CJ squeezed them shut and sighed. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I hate this."  
  
        Danny fought his urge to pull her into his arms. CJ Cregg was the most beautiful, charming, funny, smart, and all-around intriguing woman he'd ever met. Not one for declarations, nonetheless, Danny knew that this was the woman he'd been waiting for - the one he would be in love with forever, if only they could take the first step. "CJ, do you want me to walk away right now? I can ask to be put back in the White House press room. I'll be going back there in November, anyway, and-"  
  
        CJ shook hear head, swallowing the lump rising in her throat. Danny looked so willing, so ready, to give her anything she wanted. It was so goddamned ironic. "Danny, no, we're adults. We have to do our respective jobs and ignore the fact that there's this thing between us. We have no other choice."  
  
        Danny nodded, watching the taller woman slide past him and out the door, into the South Carolina morning. Standing alone in the oversized gift shop, Danny had to sigh with a mixture of discouragement and elation. There *was* a thing between them! He hadn't completely misread the signs. Right now the timing was all wrong, but Danny hoped that if he played his cards right, maybe - just maybe - he might have a chance with the woman of his dreams. 


End file.
